WTF for the Holidays: Seven Wacky Holiday Records

Categories: Lists, Weird

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​After Thanksgiving comes and goes, it seems like just about everyone gets into the holiday spirit.

Even the creepy, strange and misguided among us (which describes most of the lovely Up on the Sun staff, now that we think about it).

We're not sure what these artists were thinking when they released these WTF-worthy holiday albums, and frankly, we're a little nervous to crawl into their minds and figure it out.

Nevertheless, here are some holiday albums that maybe should have been given a second thought before they were given the green (and red holiday-themed) light.

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Facebook Strikes Down Bryan Lightningrod's Fan Page

Categories: Weird
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Well, it looks like Bryan finally got a taste of Facebook's Lightningrod.

Bryan Lightningrod, the 37-year-old ASU student, who claims to be a 97-year-old vampire from Cairo, has experienced plenty of backlash from his solicitation of photos of young girls, many of whom choose to write his name on their breasts, prompting him to post the photos publicly on Facebook and his personal website.

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Beastie Boys' Off-Broadway, and Four Other Weird Rock Musicals

Categories: Comedy, Weird

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​It used to be that plays like Hair epitomized the marriage between rock and musical, but recent years have seen the combination pushed to new limits. You probably know Green Day's American Idiot and U2's constantly flailing Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, but have you heard of Serj Tankian's musical based around ancient Greek gods? Or witnessed Dave Grohl as Satan? Or the heavy metal murder musical that just premiered in the US?

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Reggae Music and Jokes Collide at Sail Inn This Upcoming Saturday

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​​Bob Marley once said that "One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."

Reggae music, especially, has a way of making you forget your problems. Maybe because the kinds of people who listen to it are the usually same kind of people who enjoy getting ferociously high. At that point, it's really hard to feel anything at all but giggly.

And, hey, that'll be a good thing for comedian Augie G this weekend. He, along with DJ Audessy, Mahi Grabbe, The Miki Oi Band, and Kush Country will all be performing at some kind of reggae music/comedy show hybrid at the Sail Inn on Saturday.

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Tugboat Reaches New Level of Creepy in Final Installment of Long Wong's Residency Videos

Categories: Weird
Just in time for Halloween, Tugboat has managed to creep the internet like it has never been creeped before. (That's counting "Two Girls, One Cup," by the way.)

Just last week we told you about the series of creeptastic videos Tugboat released to promote their October residency at Long Wong's. But this video promoting their final show... this video... 


I need to go to Long Wong's. I don't know why. I feel like maybe they're using some pick up artist-style reverse psychology on me by calling me a "stupid ugly bitch," and it's totally working.  

Also featured in the night's lineup are noise rockers Weird Ladies, with their Arctic Monkeys-type vibe and moniker that lends itself to Tugboat misuse. Neba ("Learn to say it correctly") and Future Loves Past will be there. And of course, Flying Scorpions to, you know, "sting your genitals."

If you're looking to find the warped mind behind all of this, the videos were directed by someone named Benj Adventureface Braman. Blame him. Not us. 

Catch the final show Rocklobster, 28 at 8 p.m. at Long Wong's in Tempe.

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Drive a Car? You're Gonna Get The Lightningrod

Categories: Weird

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Collegerod and his new 'do
​A few months ago we brought you the story of Bryan Lightningrod, a 98- (38)-year-old vampire (dude) from Cairo (Chandler) who makes music (noise with titles like "I Want to Fuck Your Butt") and creepy-ass music videos with young girls' butts being (unknowingly?) taped at skate parks. 

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Tugboat Creeps Out the Internet to Promote Their October Residency at Long Wong's

Categories: Weird

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​Do you ever feel like you're just not creeped out enough by the local music? Well, Tempe rocksters Tugboat intend to change that. 

A series of videos promoting their October Long Wong's at The Firehouse residency shows the band in all of their glory. Their ballsy, ballsy glory. 

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Seven More Alice Cooper Songs for His Grotesque Haunted Maze

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​Could there be any better Halloween gift than to wander around in Alice Cooper's brain for an evening, watching him teeter on the edge of sanity, just about to fall off?

Proooobably not.

That's why this year, Halloween Horror Nights 2011 at Universal Studios Hollywood will veer from its traditional horror movie theme with a personal addition from Alice Cooper himself: a haunted maze that draws on elements from the shock rocker's theatrical concerts and feature music from his 1975 concept album, Welcome to My Nightmare.

Imagine actual snakes, a sadistic insane asylum, Cooper's childhood bedroom where he turned from Vincent Furnier to Alice Cooper forever, and decapitations, all set to themes from some of his classic songs.

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Supernatural Arizona -- Up on the Sun Soundtracks Our Own Twilight/True Blood/Vampire Diaries-style Show

Categories: Lists, Weird


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​The last Twilight movie will be released soon and only one episode remains in the fourth season of True Blood. But don't think the vampire craze is on the decline -- MTV recently launched Death Valley, which looks like a campy cross between Reno 911! and Zombieland.

How much longer can this dead horse can be beaten? The time to launch a vampy supernatural soap is now, so allow me to introduce my very own supernatural show set in the Valley of the Sun.

The plot:

There have been reports strange things going down in the Phoenix metro area at night. Sheriff Joe thinks it's all nonsense, but assigns our heroine, Emma Stone -- a no nonsense rookie with something to prove -- to investigate.

Over the course of her adventures, Stone will witness the scariest AZ has to offer, encountering feral javelinas, vampires, chupacabras and one gubernatorial mummy.

And of course -- Alice Cooper will show up (as a golfing creature of the night).

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Ya Ho Wha 13 and Mergence: The Strange Psychedelic Music of the Source Family Cult

Categories: Weird

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​In this week's issue, we featured a story about Mergence, a Phoenix band that knows a thing or two about "weird." We knew the group was out there -- just check out singer Adam Bruce's explanation of "Me and My Family Vs. The Robots" -- but when guitarist Yod Paul shared with us that he was born into the infamous Source Family commune/cult (his words, mind you), our minds were blown.

Founded by Father Yod (who was born James Edward Baker in Cincinnati), the Source Family was a California-based commune, united by Yod's strange blend of Western esotericism, beatnik ideals, an organic vegetarian diet, and wild, improvised psychedelic rock.

Father Yod and the members of the commune opened a restaurant on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, The Source Restaurant, where Yod sold privately pressed LPs by Yo Ho Wha 13, the musical arm of his religion.

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